Cute, cozy, fantasy. Small, whimsical town. Delicious baked goods (and recipes!).
It really is an adorable story. Personally, I am finding that I'm just not a huge fan of cozy fantasy, but if you are, then I think you will love this one!

📖 Bookish Thoughts
Very cute and cozy gaslamp fantasy! It’s filled with magical pastries, found family vibes, and a charming baking competition setting that I really enjoyed.

I immediately liked Theo! The more we got to know him, the more I loved him.
Our FMC was a bit wishy-washy throughout, which was frustrating at times. And her stubbornness near the end? Definitely tested my patience.

That said, the overall coziness really worked for me. I was happy with the story and the warm cozy fantasy vibes, even if I wanted just a little more from the main character.

💫 What You Can Expect:
• Magical baking competition
• Fated mates
• Found family
• Queer rep
• Whimsical small-town setting
• Cozy Gaslamp fantasy

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.

This book was fun and I am grateful for being able to receive an ARC. I loved the description of the baked goods...I was starving the entire time reading it!! I feel like this book can appeal to readers who really want something light and fun and a great in between read! Some of it was hard to relate to and the FMC was a bit negative...well a lot sometimes but overall I enjoyed it.

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic by J. Penner is a cozy fantasy book that’s perfect for fans of the genre! This book is the first in the Adenashire series and introduces us to Arleta Starstone. The story mainly revolves around Arleta’s passion for baking and some of the descriptions will have you craving some sweet treats!

Beyond the cozy baking vibes, this story does have a romantic subplot, but the romance is very minor compared to the rest of the story. I really enjoyed “meeting” the cast of characters and loved the found family element and the focus on creating friendships. This book really gave me the opportunity to just sit and enjoy a fun and lighthearted read and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for the same! I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series so that I can dive deeper into this world and spend more time with these characters!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to review this title!

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic is a cozy fantasy centering friendship and baking following Arleta, a magicless human in a world full on fantastical beings. I actually started this book a couple times and had false starts because I wasn't in the mood for this genre so knew I wouldn't enjoy if I kept reading. I finally was in the mood for a fun, low stakes fantasy and had an enjoyable time reading this book, devouring it in a couple days. I'm not usually a fan of the cozy fantasy genre, only really liking Legends & Lattes so far, but I gave this a shot based on the Great British Bakeoff vibes and was pleasantly surprised. The food descriptions in Fellowship had me starving - the author has a knack for giving you enough info to practically taste the food while reading without breaking the flow of the scene. There's also bonus recipes in the back of the book that I'm absolutely going to try my hand at when I get a chance.

As other reviews have pointed out, Arleta can be grating sometimes in her lack of confidence but no moreso than other protagonists in the genre even though I wanted to shake her a few times to knock sense into her. The secondary characters take centre stage in this novel, with Doli, Jez and Theo making Arleta's story infinitely more compelling. I also loved her orc fathers, Verdreth and Ervash - I need more of them in the future! All of the secondary characters were so enjoyable, they made up for Arleta's flaws as she grew into herself by the end of the novel and I found myself grinning at a few different moments throughout, mostly due to Theo or Doli. The end of the story wrapped up a bit too quick with multiple time jumps and finally a narrator change for the epilogue which left me wanting more content of Arleta and her relationships. I look forward to the second installment of this series and hope to see more of everyone we've been introduced to so far.

Thank you to J. Penner and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

"Your bakes don't need magic to be amazing. The talent is all you."

In the heart of Adenashire, not many humans with no magic get invited Langheim Baking Battle. So when Arleta receives an invitation - without even entering, thanks, adoptive dads orc neighbors - she sets off on a journey that will change her life more ways than one. Alongside her woodland elf escort Theo, or more precisely Theodmon Brylar, she makes her way to the prestigious contest where she meets new friends Doli, a lovely sunshiny dwarf, and Jez, a grumpy fennex and her roommate. There she will have to learn to believe in herself and that magic can be found even in the magicless.

I absolutely LOVED this, this was the perfect cozy read while still providing some stakes and some interesting twists. I really loved the different magical creatures we got to meet, whether it was the mean quokkan at the market, to the fennex rooming with Arleta. I appreciated the friendship between Jez, Doli and Arleta, the growing romance between Theo and Arleta, but most of all, i LOVED THE BAKING. the fact that they are recipes at the end just made me even happier. As a baker myself, i really appreciated that detail. And maybe pretty much at the top too, Faylin, Faylin the cat. LOVED him. Again, as a cat person, not surprising.

The antagonist was... well... not suprising. Dont give me wrong, she was still an antagonist, and was very unlikeable, and in a world where Arleta was already feeling down on herself about the fact that she was magicless, she knew exactly where to strike to hurt her even more. Which made the love between Theo and Arleta even more beautiful in my eyes. One of my favorite line is from Theo (well most of my favorite lines come from him) - I wish i had a Theo rooting for me.

Read if you're a fan of food, of diverse cast of characters, of magical treats and cozy fantasy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the ARC!

I received a digital arc from the Publisher via Netgalley though all thoughts are my own.

This was a sweet cozy fantasy set around a human who doesn't have magic but has a way with creating bakery goods that are magic of their own and is entered into a contest with elves, dwarves and other magical folks.

I enjoyed getting to know Arleta, her adorable neighbors who are her Dads in all but blood, the friendships that are formed during this contest and the budding romance that Arleta is understandably reluctant to follow through on.

I'm glad that I read this book and looking forward to continuing on with this series.

Trigger warnings: death of parents, attempted sabotage, tense family dynamics

Cozy world building and lovable characters.
And recipes at the end!

The perfect combination for cozy fantasy fans.

"She was not a child anymore. She hadn't been for a long time. Time. She just needed more time in a day. But there was never enough time."

Arleta began by reminding me of a grown-up Alice in Wonderland.

And the tone of the book fills that British Baking Show niche.

"Win or lose, the bake was a masterpiece of flavors and memories, just as she remembered them."

And the dad orcs own a bookshop, so there's that too.

"My fathers are amazing. Sometimes it's the people who make a house a home."

And two of my favorite tropes, found family & fated mates, appear as well. Did I mention the main character is demisexual? So much to adore in this beautiful book. And it's a series!

There elements of this book that were very comforting. I loved the chapters in Adenashire most - the market, the baking, the journey to Langheim, and meeting all the different characters along the way.

At first, I liked Theo and Arleta’s relationship, but the whole “fated” thing started to feel a bit overdone. It didn’t seem that complicated, yet the drama kept piling up in a way that felt a little forced. And the storyline with Theo’s mom was a but too cheesy for me.

I think that’s why I ended up feeling a bit disappointed — because this book had so much potential! I might still come back to it someday just to revisit the setting, but I’d probably skip a few chapters that didn’t quite land the first time.

Thank you to Netgalley for the Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a cute book. Not normally something I would read but I was in the mood for something unique and different than what I normally read. If you like legend and lattes you’ll enjoy this book.

I am most definitely in my cosy fantasy era right now. This time of year is always really busy, and winter is setting and I tend to want to just disassociate with a good book.

A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic was just what I needed. A book with baking, tea, found family and friendship. And of course a sprinkle of romance.

Arleta has been accepted into the Langheim Baking Battle which is a renowned competition that could help her buy the bakery she’s been dreaming of - if she won. The only problem is, she’s a human, and while nonmagicals aren’t expressly forbidden, they’re not exactly welcomed either.

Encourage by a gorgeous elf Theo, her new dwarf friend Doli, and her grumpy fennex roommate, Jez, Arleta sets out to try and win the competition one delicious treat at a time.

I thoroughly enjoyed all of the characters, and I especially enjoyed the reluctance with which Jez accepted her new friends in her own grumpy way. Theo is an absolute sweetheart, and I want my own talking sassy lynx like Feylin. I’m currently reading the second book which centres around Doli and I’m very much looking forward to getting to know this sunshine happy character a bit more.

Fantasy bake-off. Arleta is a human, magicless in a world of magic, and is entered into a major baking competition by her neighbors. She resists going because of her lack of magic, unsure she is even allowed, but the elf who shows up to deliver her invitation convinces her to go along. The rest is pretty much as expected. She makes new friends, competes and does well, has a minor scandal, and falls for said elf. This definitely ended on a "get ready for the next book" feel, but I'm not sure I would read another. 3 stars.

3.75 stars!

It was such a cozy and warm fantasy read. I loved every part of it.

The writing is so easy and digestable that I literally binged the whole book in one sitting!
The plot was interesting and plot twist at the end got me (hihi). I adore when the main character is a chef/baker (baker in this case).
I started this book without expectations but ended up eating it up! I haven't read a cosy fantasy in longer time and this story definitely covered my need for it. I'm looking forward to reading more from J. Penner

Now THIS is a cozy book. The food network-like competition was extremely fun, the pacing was perfect, and the descriptions!!!! You could smell & taste all those baked goods. The fact this comes with recipes is truly genius, I will be trying them out. I didn’t mind that every minor problem got resolved in less than a page—that’s what I like about cozy. The characters were fun, and I love a cishet romance where the man comes in and just makes everything in life better for the girl, and that’s how Theo was.

At first.

The last 75%… the romance turned uncomfortable and cringe-inducing. I do not like the fated mates trope, and I’m not even sure what kept these characters apart for so long? Every time she confronted his obvious feelings for her, he deflects and gaslights for what??? And when the fated mates was revealed, instead of being creeped out (which she honestly should have been) she was just like no that can’t be right i don’t have magic. Who cares??? Because no one except like 2 people seemed to care? The book kept trying to make her lack of magic a point of contention, but it really held no weight. It really didn’t seem to matter for the plot, she was the one who kept bringing it up?

I did really enjoy this and I will recommend to anyone looking for a cozy book that’ll give you a sweet tooth.

Fun, cute, sweet. It was everything I had hoped for in a book about magic and baking! If you are looking for a simple, sweet book to read, this is it!

This is a cozy story about friendship and cherishing what you have. The magic version of a baking competition was a fun way to add some conflict and suspense. The characters are well rounded and I care about all of their stories.

I will definitely be reading more in this world! Returning to Adenashire will be like hanging out with friends…especially friends who enjoy yummy baked goods and a cup of tea!

Free arc copy received from NetGalley

I was enchanted with this series from the first page. I cannot remember a book that I have raced through with such fervor. I swooned over Theo and cheered for the baking trio every step of the way. I am a huge fan of fated mates, and this book did not disappoint. I just finished the second book and CANNOT wait to see what else is in store for the people of Adenashire .

Thanks for the ARC! This was an utterly charming read—part baking show, part fairytale, and all heart. Arleta is a lovable underdog, and her journey from self-doubt to self-worth is warm, comforting, and sprinkled with just the right amount of magic. The fantasy world feels whimsical without being overwhelming, and the supporting cast (especially the elf 👀) adds depth and delight. A cozy, feel-good tale that’s as sweet as its pastries.

This was an easy five stars for me. I absolutely loved this cozy, fantasy setting. The author literally had me at the grumpy quokka haha As a baker I enjoyed the premise of this book even more. I loved that the author included some of the recipes as well. I will definitely be making them! The found family aspect was heart warming. Just an all around good, cozy vibe from this book, start to finish. I will definitely be recommending this book, purchasing as gifts and reading more in this series!!

A cute, cosy low stakes fantasy. Perfect for fans of Legends and Lattes.
Be warned, it will definitely make you hungry!
I did get a little lost with all the different characters and creatures, but enjoyed and would recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic by J. Penner is a delightful cozy fantasy that combines the charm of baking with the whimsy of a magical world. Set in the enchanting town of Adenashire, the story follows Arleta Starstone, a human baker without magic, who is secretly entered into the prestigious Elven Baking Battle by her orc neighbor. Despite her lack of magical abilities, Arleta's unique blend of baking and apothecary herbs sets her apart in the competition. As she navigates the challenges of the contest, Arleta embarks on a journey of self-discovery, forming heartwarming friendships and exploring a slow-burn romance with Theo, an elf who becomes her ally and confidant. The narrative is filled with mouthwatering descriptions of pastries and includes recipes inspired by the story, inviting readers to recreate the treats at home .